Positive Psychology for Language Learning and Teaching?

Alison D.

The process of language acquisition is full of ups and downs. From the anxiousness and discomfort of being afraid to make mistakes, to the joy of finally understanding the intonation structure of a given language. It is evident that this process is full of emotions and feelings. We can consider all sorts of factors that contribute to the emotions that are present in the general classroom. We can talk about the feelings of engagement and involvement, classroom environment, rapport with teachers, motivation, interest of the content being taught, etc. Though typically, for more positive results in engagement, participation and motivation, students need a safe and empowering place to learn. Thus, a positive environment.

When thinking about a positive classroom environment, the topic of positive psychology always comes to mind.  To define it quickly, positive psychology encapsulates the positive feelings and emotions that are present in our lives in order for humans to feel fulfilled, successful and self-actualized (MacIntyre, 2018). That said, does incorporating the approach of positive psychology as a pedagogical approach have the potential to promote feelings of fulfillment, success, and self-actualization from the standpoint of a L2 learner-self? Let’s explore.

As often discussed in the field of second language education and acquisition, the feeling of anxiety is a great barrier for all those involved in the learning process: “language anxiety is a significant concern for teachers, learners, and educational leaders because it affects the quality of teaching, learning, and assessment” (MacIntyre, 2018, p. 8). Since anxiety is largely associated with feelings of fear, this often leads to avoidance behaviour which forces students to disengage and avoid using the target language. The immense space that anxiety takes up in the process of language acquisition can be a driving factor as to why positive psychology has such great potential as a pedagogical tool in the SLE context.

You may be asking yourself exactly how positive psychology can be used and seen in the classroom, especially for language learning. Activities revolving around emotional intelligence is a good place to start. Many SLE researchers argue that language and emotional intelligence should be taught simultaneously. As learners are faced with language anxieties, having the appropriate vocabulary and set of skills to self-regulate and express their feelings can evidently positively impact the outcome of each situation they are placed in. As Dr. Danielle McGraw states, “It’s difficult to understand our emotions when we do not have the language to describe them.” This said, providing second language learners with adequate emotional literacy skills can be a content-based approach to language instruction!

Check out the quick video below for some inspiration from fellow educators as to how they have implemented elements of positive psychology in their classrooms!

Questions:

How can we use positive psychology in the language classroom?

How can PosPsy benefit language learners?

References:

Macintyre, Peter, D.., Gregersen, Tammy, & Mercer, Sarah (2019). Setting an agenda for positive psychology in SLA: Theory, practice, and research. The Modern Language Journal, 103(1), 262–274. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12544